Killian stared at the interface in disbelief.
He remembered the A-Rank Warden who used a similar skill on live television to assassinate a politician.
She was a Plant/Vine Element User and used the politician's skin as soil, strangling him with the vines that grew out of his neck.
It was a sneaky S-Rank skill. To defend, one would need to always fortify themselves with mana to not be marked.
"Let's try it." He rushed towards the forest where the shades of trees overlapped.
"Spread the tendrils, mark the trees, and use less than a thousandth of their ambient mana to replicate the tendrils from their shadows."
Killian spread the tendrils still active under his legs.
"As long as they have your mark, and are within your line of sight and control. You can override the shadow of every living thing with mana."
He saw the shadows under the marked trees darken. He raised his hand, and shivers ran down his spine as he saw tendrils rise out of them.
This skill had significantly increased his range.
"You spoil me."
"You use the skills well. And the stronger my vessel is, the freer I'd be."
"Free to do what?"
There was no response. Killian sighed, and checked the notification that came in.
"You are trying to scare me, aren't you? If it's about the void taking possession of me to be violent, then I'd be more mindful."
[C-tier Realm - Urjin Complete.]
[Close?]
"Ah yes. Inventory." He checked the items in there. He had finally used a smoke bomb.
It didn't have the expected cover reaction because it collided with the sound wave, but it still gave him the boom he craved.
He took out a stealth seal, and the boots that hid his presence until seen. He changed from his stained sneakers, and left them in the inventory.
"Are orcs interested in human fashion?"
He raised a brow, wondering if the Void just made a joke. "I am too tired to dodge the first entrance attack so I'm trying to avoid it."
"I know, but try to avoid every other fight."
"That is the plan."
"I don't trust those plans of yours."
Killian closed the second realm, and readied for the next transportation.
[C-tier Realm - Orcans]
Killian immediately caught the stench of rotten air. The gray-scale atmosphere and dark green plants and trees covered the surroundings.
[Simulation Complete!]
[Good Luck, Grim Warden!]
He nodded at the voice and cautiously walked away from the orc guard glaring at the entrance.
As he speculated, they could tell when an intruder was approaching. His heart skipped a beat when the orc looked in his direction.
Thankfully, I added a stealth seal with the boots, just in case I meet a sensitive orc.
This guy instantly looked in my direction.
He didn't move till the orc looked away from him, and back to the gateway that slowly vanished.
Killian held his beating chest and moved towards the orc's blindside. These orcs are C-Rank monsters. I shouldn't underestimate them too much.
He gradually disappeared into the orc's blindside and rested by a tree.
"Okay. Good distance. I hope he's a little stupid compared to those birds." His plan highly depended on how stupid these orcs would be.
He grabbed a stone. "Hold."
The tendrils wrapped around it. With a thought, he sent the tendrils slithering towards the orc guard that had returned to his station by a cave.
Then he used the old trick.
With a flick of his finger, the tendrils launched the stone in the opposite direction to where he hid.
The orc grabbed his spiked skull club and rushed in that direction. The tendrils followed, and when he stepped on grass, they wrapped around his legs.
"Yah! Ha-he-yah!" The orc made incoherent sounds that Killian couldn't understand.
He retracted his finger and the tendrils merged with the dark grass. The orc checked his surroundings, before slamming his club at the spot, just in case.
The orc continued, moving into the forest.
"He's marked. I'm moving."
"Be careful."
"Will do." Killian moved from his position. With Umbral Override, he always needed to be close to his targets so distance would be his greatest weakness.
I should get more stealth seals later.
He heard small chattering deeper into the forest. It seemed to be other orc men sitting by a fire.
If one C-Rank monster added 3% then I just need about three more to get there. This should be easy.
He clenched his hands, and tendrils shot out from the orc guard's shadow, attacking the three orcs seated.
Instantly, they grabbed their clubs beside them and slammed the tendrils back. A mace was thrown towards his direction and he bolted backwards.
One stepped on the fire and hid behind the trees. The place became totally dark and silent.
Killian could hear his heavy breathing. When did orcs have such agility and sharp senses?
His tendrils returned to his side.
The atmosphere in this realm was particularly disadvantageous to him since his tendrils worked with existing shadows and a totally dark place didn't really help here.
Well, good thing that I am a Fire Element User.
Almost.
He dug into his pocket and brought out the lighter. It exposed his location immediately and he dropped it, moving to another tree.
Less than a second after he moved, a club smashed that tree in two.
They don't waste time.
The tendrils rose from his sides, slithering towards the orc he could see. If he could mark him, then the others' would be easily discoverable.
"Hey-ya—!"
The tendrils stabbed at the large orc behind him before he could make a battle cry. Killian noticed the tendrils didn't cut deeply into his skin.
He made them around the neck, but the orc guard appeared, and yanked them off.
"Found you."
Tendrils from the orc guard's shadows wrapped around the two orcs' neck, strangling them.
Their bodies were too thick to cut easily, but if they were left half-dead… "your mana will still be mine."
After confirming that he had three orcs, the tendrils tightened around their bodies.
The groaning came from the directions expected, so Killian stayed hidden to spot the fourth one. It should be a fully clothed orc amongst the fire earlier.
He took off the stealth seal, before it got completely drained. "Did that one run away to get help?"
Bwraaa!
"It did."
The trumpet sounds promised sweaty angry orcs in the next minute.
[Capacity 22% → 28%]
"Two down."
Killian ran to his lighter. He emitted mana from the tendrils holding into the third orc, and the tendrils lit up, consuming the orc.
His piercing scream made the birds scatter.
"Three down." Killian rushed back to the spot by the entrance. "It should be ready now."
[Capacity 28%→31]
"Yes! I can leave here now."
But there was no notification. He heard the vengeful battle cries from tens of orcs, rushing down the forest towards him.
"Where is the darn notification? I'm done!"
His body still ached and no amount of pushing forward could help him win against more than ten orcs. His mana was almost drained to base level.
With the growing uproar charging, he just stood still, chuckling dryly.
He realized. He had to defeat the boss of the simulation to be able to leave.
I might actually die now.
[NEW ELEMENT UNLOCKED.]↓
Salvation?